What to do in George Town, Penang?

When cruising, we usually take guided tours ashore.

But we’d read that the historic center of George Town, Malaysia – declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 – could be explored independently on foot. (George Town is found on Penang Island off the northwest coast of the Malaysia peninsula.)

So we decided to walk out on our own, trusty map in hand to show us the way to the George Town, Penang, attractions we wanted to see.

To beat the heat, we’d leave the air-conditioned sanctum of our Windstar ship, the Star Pride, right after an early-bird breakfast and be back in time for lunch.

Silly us.

You’d think that after so many (wonderful!) years of traveling together, we’d recognize our tendency to dilly-dally.

And dilly-dally we did. Another cappuccino. A second helping of strawberries – because everyone should eat lots of fruit in the morning. More Camembert, and perhaps just another half croissant (we don’t want to venture out hungry!).

Well, let’s just say that by the time we set off, the heat almost sucked the life out of us. And it’s hard to read a map when even your sunglasses are perspiring.

Peranakan culture – and cool shoes! – at the Pinang Peranakan Mansion

So when we stumbled upon the jade-green mansion in Penang – and it turned out to be the Pinang Peranakan Mansion (consistently rated on TripAdvisor as the #1 or #2 attraction out of all the things to do in George Town, Penang, so it must be really really good, right?) – we were quite delighted.

We were saved from heat stroke! And we’d get a dose of Peranakan culture too.

This is how the elite Peranakans dressed – photo Lillian Tong

“Peranakan” describes the descendants of early Chinese traders who intermarried with local Malay women in Malacca, Singapore and the island of Penang (also known as Pinang).

Many amassed great wealth, and when their settlements became British colonies in the mid 1800s, they adopted British and European customs. Like playing polo. And decorating Victorian-style dining tables with epergnes (ornate table centerpieces with containers to hold candles, sweetmeats or flowers).

The young girls and women, known as “Nyonas,” also made the most gorgeous beaded slippers and shoes, dozens of which are on display at the mansion museum. (“Baba” refers to a Peranakan male.)

It’s amazing to think a young unmarried girl would have painstakingly beaded beautiful shoes like these about a century ago

More beaded slippers…

Lots of bling at this Peranakan museum, Penang

What else did we see at this Baba Nyonya museum ?

We tried not to stare too obviously at the cute bridal couple posing for their wedding photos in one of the mansion’s salons; the bride wore red, like the bride we saw on our groovy trishaw ride in Malacca.

Vivid scarlet (as worn by this bride) is a common color for wedding dresses in Malaysia

And for the rest, you’ll just have to read our story on “Pinang Peranakan Mansion: Preserving the Peranakan Culture in Malaysia” on NUVO magazine’s website. Hint: Enough gold to make King Midas drool.

But we’ll tease you here with a few more photos:

Fancy owning this gold container?

Just one of the Nyonya dress displays…

Lillian Tong, the Pinang Peranakan Mansion’s museum director, has written a book on the mansion’s collection of gold jewelry

And, yes, thank you for asking :-).

We did eventually make it back to our ship – dripping from the humidity, but in time for the latest lunch possible (and very happy with what we’d seen).

Practical information about the Pinang Peranakan museum

Air-conditioned? Yes! (in some salons).

The best way to see the Pinang Peranakan Mansion (or Penang Peranakan Mansion) is by complimentary guided tour. (We were lucky to join an English-speaking tour that had started minutes before we arrived.)

I found George Town easy to get around on my own. I don’t remember the mansion, though. The only issue I had with George Town was that somehow (long story) the management at my hotel thought I was er, a lady of the night, and when a strange man knocked on my door, I freaked. Needless to say I checked out the next day. Hm, maybe I should make that story into a blog one day.

Great story, lovely museum! From several years in the tropics, I learned that there is really no such thing as beating the heat by skimping on breakfast…best to just enjoy it all, from luscious fruit to air-conditioned comfort when it’s on offer (or shade+fan when it’s not). Love the colorful style of the Nyonas, too!

You are so funny and honest! There have been plenty of times on our travels that we have chosen an activity based upon the weather. I would have been complaining a lot! What a gorgeous place to be saved from humidity! Loved your photos!

I could really relate to the beginning of your story. When we’re on our own my sister and I dilly dally the time away and invariably end up reenacting the Bataan Death March! The mansion looks wonderful and the shoes are beautiful. You can tell Facebook hadn’t been invented yet for anyone to concentrate so long on such an intricate project!

How true is that about spending time on their handicraft! The girls couldn’t leave the house and be seen in public until they were married, so there really wasn’t much else for them to do – apart from gossiping, doing embroidery and looking pretty.

Both the place and your photos are so colorful! I love your writing, I am just a bit surprised that you do not mention anything about trying to buy some of those beautiful beaded slippers! You did, did you not? :)

Those shoes would probably go in the “priceless” category! They’re too pretty to be worn anyway for the kind of traveling and sightseeing we do :-). Probably best just to imagine them on a young well-off Peranakan woman daintily prancing about in a mansion like this :-).

We know too well how humid Malaysia can be, and if you’re not used to it you can wilt in a matter of minutes. Flip side is when we arrived in Europe after Malaysia, we froze to death! Can’t win! The beaded shoes would be right in style today, wouldn’t they? Lovely photos.